Volumetric 3D display using a DLP projection engine

Jason Geng

doi:10.1117/12.904027

13 February 2012 Volumetric 3D display using a DLP projection engine

Jason Geng

Proceedings Volume 8254, Emerging Digital Micromirror Device Based Systems and Applications IV; 82540I (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.904027
Event: SPIE MOEMS-MEMS, 2012, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

In this article, we describe a volumetric 3D display system based on the high speed DLPTM (Digital Light Processing) projection engine. Existing two-dimensional (2D) flat screen displays often lead to ambiguity and confusion in high-dimensional data/graphics presentation due to lack of true depth cues. Even with the help of powerful 3D rendering software, three-dimensional (3D) objects displayed on a 2D flat screen may still fail to provide spatial relationship or depth information correctly and effectively. Essentially, 2D displays have to rely upon capability of human brain to piece together a 3D representation from 2D images. Despite the impressive mental capability of human visual system, its visual perception is not reliable if certain depth cues are missing. In contrast, volumetric 3D display technologies to be discussed in this article are capable of displaying 3D volumetric images in true 3D space. Each "voxel" on a 3D image (analogous to a pixel in 2D image) locates physically at the spatial position where it is supposed to be, and emits light from that position toward omni-directions to form a real 3D image in 3D space. Such a volumetric 3D display provides both physiological depth cues and psychological depth cues to human visual system to truthfully perceive 3D objects. It yields a realistic spatial representation of 3D objects and simplifies our understanding to the complexity of 3D objects and spatial relationship among them.

Citation Download Citation

Jason Geng "Volumetric 3D display using a DLP projection engine", Proc. SPIE 8254, Emerging Digital Micromirror Device Based Systems and Applications IV, 82540I (13 February 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.904027

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